Prisoners of Despair
by SHSL Coder
Summary: The sixteen of us were supposed to be at a school. No, I remember getting the acceptance letter, I read the damned thing, I remember getting on the bus. Next thing I know, I wake up in a prison, with my classmates. We've been kidnapped by some... bear, forced into a game of life and death. [SYOC Closed] [Rewrite of The Future Will Be Bright, rating may change to M]
1. SYOC

"The end is near."

"No, no, stop... stop..."

"The end is near."

A young man kneels on the soft grass. Rain soaks his clothes, as loud roars of thunder are heard in the distance. Huge, grey clouds cover the night sky, bringing in darkness over the fields. Tears roll down the young man's cheeks, as he lets out choked, pained sobs. His teeth grind together, as his nails dig into his palms, trembling violently.

"The end is near."

There's a voice. A loud, deep, masculine voice speaks. It echoes across the plains, and yet, the young man appeared to be the only one hearing it. Was there anyone else _to_ hear it? He didn't know, his eyelids had been shut tight for what felt like hours.

"The end is near."

It repeats itself, over and over again. The same four words continue echoing, as the man pounds his fist into the dirt, beginning to shout.

"Stop!" he yells, "St-stop, dammit! Get out of my head!"

"The end is near." the voice replies, simply.

"_Fuck off!_" he cries, pounding into the dirt once more.

"You can stop it."

The man's tears halt for a moment. He takes a sudden intake of air, eyes widening. The voice had finally said something different.

"What... what do you mean...?" the man tries to ask. It comes out more as a whisper, ability to talk correctly taken away by shock and fear.

"Let me help you." it says. "I can give you the power to stop this."

The man is confused. He's been confused, but, his confusion only raises higher. Shaking, he slowly gets to his feet, taking a deep breath. He looks around, uncurling his fists, as a feeling of calm suddenly comes over him. He takes another deep breath.

"How?" he asks.

"This is unimportant. Do you accept?" the voice responds.

The young man is silent. He thinks for a while, no sounds coming from him nor the voice. Eventually, his eyes have a sudden light in them, as if he realizes something. His mouth goes agape, before he begins nodding frantically.

"Yes. Yes, I accept." he says, a slight grin appearing on his face.

"Good. You have made the right decision." the voice says.

Things are quiet for a moment. The storm only hardens further, harsh winds howling through. It was as if nothing were to happen, until...

The young man suddenly collapses forwards. He falls face-first into the mud, unconscious.

The voice chuckles, ominously.

"You have made the right decision."

* * *

**SYOC FORM**

**The SYOC is closed. I will send everybody who sent an OC a PM stating if they've been accepted or denied, and update the character list. If the people who currently have a reserved spot do not send an OC by tomorrow(August 30th), their spots will open up again, for anyone to send a character.  
**

* * *

**There will be no more reserving, sorry.**

Name: [Surname, first name format if Japanese]

Nickname/Alias: [if applicable]

Age: [14 - 18 unless you have a good reason for otherwise]

Gender: [If your character identifies other than their biological gender, please mention both]

Nationality: [Story will take place in Japan, as well as the school, but you can be from anywhere]

Height/Weight: [Exacts not necessary, just a basic build]

Hair: [Hairstyle, color, anything else worth mentioning]

Eyes: [Color, heterochromia, whatever]

Tattoos/Scars/Etc.: [Does your OC have any tattoos, scars, birthmarks, or anything else like that?]

Fashion Sense: [What does your character usually wear? Mention styles of clothing, colors, layers, etc.]

Clothing: [What they're wearing on the first day of school.]

Personality: [How do they act around others? Quiet, and timid? Loud, and outgoing?]

Quotes: [Add at least four things your character would say, in different situations, such as being happy, scared, angry, etc.]

Likes: [What does your character enjoy? Coffee? Books? Video games?]

Dislikes: [What does your character not like? Tea? Movies? People?]

Hobbies: [What does your OC do for fun? What will they often be seen doing to keep themselves entertained?]

Romance: [First, mention if you're even okay with your character getting into any romance. It's unlikely as I can't write romance for shit, but just in case. If so, mention what their type is.]

Background: [Try not to make this too long. A summary of your character's life, and how they got to where they are now. Include how they got their talent.]

Secrets: [Has your character done some shit? Has some shit been done to them?]

Darkest Secret: [Has your character done some _really_ fucked up shit? Something your character would never reveal to anyone. This is not necessary, and can be left blank.]

How would they react to their secrets being found out?: [As it says on the tin. Will they get angry, and deny it? Embarassed?]

Fears: [Does your OC have a fear of heights? Clowns?]

Greatest Fear: [Something that absolutely horrifies your OC. Must be filled.]

SHSL: [What is their Super Highschool Level?]

Other Talents: [If applicable, include some other talents your OC may have.]

Likely to be Culprit, Victim, or Survivor?: [**THIS DECIDES NOTHING. **Is your character more likely to kill someone, die, or survive the game?]

Role in Investigation: [Are they a hardcore detective, examining every nook and cranny? Or are they lazy, and stand aside and watch others do the work, instead?]

Role in Trial: [Do they present a lot of evidence? Participate in debates? Throw out theories? Stay quiet?]

Mastermind: [Would you like your character to be considered for Mastermind?]

Why mastermind?: [If you chose to be considered, put a little story here as to why they decided to become one.]

**Characters from The Future Will Be Bright are allowed to be reused.**

* * *

**[HAHA GUESS WHAT I'M ALIVE**

**So, this might be a bit confusing. I've been doing some thinking and whatnot, and I've realized TFWBB must be discontinued. The plot was all over the place, and didn't even make sense to me, as well as a few other problems. I found it'd be easier to just start anew, with a fresh sheet of characters(unless you wanna resend one idc), with a new plot, and like yeah. That's about it. The SYOC will end at a certain point in time. Thanks for joining!]**


	2. Prologue

**[A little prologue to introduce our main character and some other stuff yeah.]**

* * *

_"Hello, Inoue Arata. Flying Stars Academy would like to welcome you to our school as the Super Highschool Level Gunslinger."_

My eyes read the words over and over again. Over, and over, and over, and over. I can't believe it. I didn't even apply to this damned school. Hell, I've barely been on the face of the earth recently.

I'm excited, but how the hell did they find me?

A confused grin on my face, I sit in the ripped, leather couch of my 'home'. More of a house than anything, though. My hands hold the letter I recieved that morning, from the prestigious Flying Stars Academy, sister school to Hope's Peak. I was accepted into it as the Super Highschool Level Gunslinger, which I suppose works in a way, an odd way.

I can't tell if I wanted this, though.

I haven't been a 'gunslinger' since years. I left that. I'm done with that. That's the old me, I'm someone else now.

Did he need to return?

* * *

The weeks fly by. It feels as if no time passes before it's the beginning of April, and I'm sitting in a school bus, going to Flying Stars. Everyone else is excited. Nervous. Some were happy, sad, scared, some were just quiet. I still don't know what I'm feeling. I'm scared. They had my full name. My _full_ name. I haven't even spoken my surname since almost half a decade, now. I've been a ghost. And yet, I was found.

Even still, I can't deny I'm excited. My future was always shaky, unclear. But, they say success is guaranteed here. It's one of the biggest schools in Japan, from what I've heard. It shows, too. Previous graduates have went on to become amazing people.

I wonder if I will, too.

* * *

My mind is blank. It's somewhere else, as I step out of the bus, straightening my vest and tie. My mind is on autopilot as I follow the crowd, going up the stairs. I snap out of it, taking in my surroundings. It's quite beautiful. I stand outside the huge Flying Stars Academy, the school towering above me, casting shadows. Stairs with railings lead to the entrance gates, of which other students were already piling inside. Grass and flowers are all around.

I notice something wet fall on my arm. Looking over at it, I realize raindrops are beginning to fall. A light rain descends from the grey clouds, a breeze howling through.

"...rain." a female voice speaks, passing by me. For whatever reason, it's familiar. She walks ahead of me, being at around my height, with black hair, and a velvet blue suit. It puzzles me, but I shrug it off.

"Heheh..." I hear another voice. It's a chuckle, from a nearby student...?

Wait, that's not right.

I realize it was in my _head._

It's something like a whisper. It echoes through my brain, like a thought, but, not _mine._

My head shakes, as I mutter under my breath, "It's nothing." It wasn't, right? My mind is still somewhere else. The fact that day was my first day back to school in years hasn't even really hit me yet, anyway. Just a random, odd thought.

But now I can't help but feel paranoid.

...oh well.

I step up the last flight of stairs. The school's gates, with the front doors behind them, are right in front of me. Taking a deep breath, I walk through, staring forward.

"Haha."

I hear the voice again. No, wait, that definitely wasn't me. And yet, that was in my head.

"Hahaha."

It repeats.

"Hahahahaha..."

It continues laughing, and I stop in my tracks, staggering back. "What the hell?" I whisper under my breath. Backing up, I manage to bump into another student.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" she huffs, walking inside, as I come back to reality.

What the hell was that?

I figure it's over now. I try to calm myself, but, it's to no avail. I try to take a deep breath, but...

"Hrk-"

I find myself unable to.

Eyes widening, I shakily shuffle over to a wall, leaning against it. I pound against my chest with a fist, trying to get my lungs working again, but, for a reason unknown to me, oxygen does not go through them.

"Hey-!" I say, attempting to get someone's attention, but there's too many people. Nobody even hears me. I keep pounding against my chest, trying to breathe, _'inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth',_ but air is not reaching my lungs.

I begin to cough violently, sliding down the wall, sitting against it. Horrible, sick-sounding coughs come out of my throat, which only further confused me- since when was I sick? No matter what I do, I cannot breathe...

I eventually feel consciousness falling away. My eyelids feel heavy, and it's becoming a chore to keep them open.

_'No... stay awake...'_ I think to myself, letting out another cough.

Unfortunately, my eyes suddenly close.

I realize I can't fight it anymore, and do not make an effort any longer. I tried, right?

I pass out, going unconscious.

* * *

**END PROLOGUE**

* * *

**CHARACTERS**

**1. Inoue Arata / SHSL Gunslinger / SHSL Coder  
**

**2. Dakota North / SHSL Jockey / FirelightKnight  
**

**3. Horonigai Chiyu / SHSL Surgeon / Akorin Kokoro  
**

**4. Hiiagirou Kaede / SHSL Utaite / CrimsonSkyTamer  
**

**5. Male Reserved / LittleLugia  
**

**6. Sumiyoshi Mizuki / SHSL Fashion Designer / 15lives  
**

**7. Hizen Creutzfeldt / SHSL Undertaker / Veltrops  
**

**8. Annie Meritua / SHSL Pacifist / JokersMaze  
**

**9. Takenaka Rei / SHSL Hypnotist / KomoriRin  
**

**10. Female Reserved / xxpandaheroxx  
**

**11. Eri Onohara / SHSL Fighter / SHSL Slacker  
**

**12. Tanoshimu Egao / SHSL Multi-Tasker / The Cutest Otaku  
**

**13. Seo Kyrie / SHSL Analyst / MizunashiFuyuko  
**

**14. Jude Beckett / SHSL Escape Artist / JayTboxer  
**

**15. Ishida Yaozu / SHSL Bouncer / Unify  
**

**16. Kasai Ichijo / SHSL Thief / The hazel-eyed bookworm  
**

**8/8 MALES**

**8/8 FEMALES**

**SYOC IS CLOSED**


	3. Chapter 1 Part 1: Behind Bars

**[WARNING: VERY SPOOKY]**

* * *

"Hey ... where ... are we!?"

"Relax, we'll ... out!"

"And _how_ do you ... that?"

"... doesn't."

_'What...?'_

When I first opened my eyes, I expected to wake up in a school.

The first thing I saw was the pale white, cracked ceiling of the room I was in. The room smelled completely awful, a horrible stench of some sort inside. I hear distant voices, outside. It sounds as if they're arguing over something, with shouts, and even screams.

"Argh..." I wince, pain shooting through my back. I realize I'm lying on a bed, or, well, a pretty crappy mattress. It's nothing I wasn't used to, but, wouldn't such a fancy school have nicer beds? This is Flying Stars, right?

Rubbing my temples, I slowly get to my feet. I wobble a bit, staggering into the wall, immediately shooting out a hand to it and balancing myself. I glance around the room, taking in my surroundings. The blue mattress I layed on was bolted into the back wall, with a white chair and desk next to it- both bolted into the floor. To the right of the desk was a small toilet, and a sink. And directly ahead of me, the opposite of the bed, were... bars?

Indeed, silver bars, much like a prison cell were there, instead of a simple door or something else. Taking another quick look around the room, I realize it _does_ look like a prison cell. The door is ajar, I notice. Not spending another moment in the room, I leave.

I'm now in a hallway. The floor was a basic, dark green-painted cement, with dim lights illuminating the area from above. There's two floors, with a staircase at both ends. There's no ceiling, just a little pathway on each wall, for one above to walk on.

"No, this ain't right, dammit! I was... I'm suppos' t'be at Flyin' Stars! The fuck is this!?" a snappy, female voice yells. My head snaps to the source, and I notice a group of people standing together nearby.

"Calm down," a man around my age says, "We'll get out of here, okay? Don't panic."

"Tch, that seems unlikely." another female says, "How the fuck do y'all know that?"

"I just _do._" he replies, "Come on. We're gonna be fine."

_'Doesn't sound like they know what's going on, either.'_

"Hey!" I yell, running over to the large group. "I guess none of you know where we are, huh...?"

"Take a look around." a large man shrugs, "I wouldn't be surprised if it were a prison."

I obey, eyes observing the hallway. I notice a ton of other rooms just like mine next to it, with intimidating bars, and bolted beds. On a wall are the words _A BLOCK_. Are these supposed to be jail cells?

"Okay, then what the hell did we do?" I ask. "What'd we do to get thrown in jail?"

"I don't know. We're trying to figure that out." he sighs. "Why don't we introduce ourselves?"

"Good idea." the other man nods. "Once we know each other's names, we can work on getting out of here."

"Woah, mate. Get out of here?" the second girl says, "Talkin' like we're fuckin' kidnapped!"

"For all we know, we could be." he replies. "I'll start, okay? My name's Jude Beckett. I don't know if this really counts anymore, since this definitely isn't Flying Stars, but... Super Highschool Level Escape Artist."

**JUDE BECKETT**

**SUPER HIGHSCHOOL LEVEL ESCAPE ARTIST**

Jude was around 5' 7", with an average, lean build. He wore a tan, double-breasted jacket over a grey turtle neck, with a pair of black jeans and dress shoes. His black hair was around medium-length, not too long, but enough that it almost covers his left eye. It's brushed over to that side. He stares at me with these brownish, yet green eyes.

"You. Fancy man." he points to me, "You're next."

Sighing, I tip my fedora up, taking off my aviators, to reveal my brown eyes. I put the glasses inside my black-and-white pinstripe vest pocket, straightening my black tie, sitting over my white button-up.

"Inoue Arata," I introduce myself, "Super Highschool Level Gunslinger."

_'...it hurts to just say that.'_

**INOUE ARATA**

**SUPER HIGHSCHOOL LEVEL GUNSLINGER**

My eyes shoot downward, at my black pants and dress shoes. I tip my fedora back down, over my short black hair, putting my sunglasses back on, despite it not being very bright at all. I can barely see with them, actually.

"Gunslinger..." Jude nods, "I see. Next."

"Let me introduce myself." the large man says, crossing his arms over his vest, "My name is Hizen Creutzfeldt. SHSL Undertaker."

**HIZEN CREUTZFELDT**

**SUPER HIGHSCHOOL LEVEL UNDERTAKER**

Hizen had a tall, intimidating, strong build. He wore a black vest over a white button up and purple tie, with black dress pants and shoes. On his hands were black leather gloves. His short, black hair was combed back neatly. Hizen's eyes were a turquoise green. Overall, he looked very formal, and important.

"Undertaker?" someone asks. "'Fuck is that supposed to be?"

"I deal with bodies," he replies, shrugging, "Prepare them for burial."

"Eugh, the hell? You enjoy shit like that?" the other asks, a slightly disgusted look on her face.

"...it is simply my talent." Hizen says, hesitating.

_'Wonder what the story behind that is...'_

"I have nothing more to say. Who's next?" Hizen asks.

"I'll go." a small girl says, smiling. Her voice is calm, already lowering tensions. She looks at the group with innocent blue eyes, introducing herself. "My name is Annie Meritua. Super Highschool Level Pacifist."

**ANNIE MERITUA**

**SUPER HIGHSCHOOL LEVEL PACIFIST**

She then simply nods, a delicate look on her face. She doesn't appear to have much more to say. The girl wore a maroon red vest with puffed shoulders over a white blouse, with a red ribbon tied around her neck. A dark grey skirt ended around her thighs, with black stockings a few inches underneath, a gold color adorning the tops. Underneath this strip of gold was the design of a scale, one at the top of each stocking. Her hair was a light blonde, with deep blue eyes. She has ankle-high boots, following the same design as her stockings-black, with golden scales.

"Guess I'll go," one of the snappy girls says, "I'm Onohara Eri. SHSL Fighter."

**ONOHARA ERI**

**SUPER HIGHSCHOOL LEVEL FIGHTER**

Onohara looked pretty beat up. She was tall, at around 5' 8", and pretty skinny. Very messily cut, dark brown hair ended at her shoulders, with bangs pointing out in all different directions. Her eyes were a soft, light brown. The girl wore a blouse, seemingly very slightly blue, although it was hard to tell, and a simple pair of ripped jeans. She wore a pair of grey and red sneakers, but, the grey appeared to be a faded white, instead. A bunch of bruises and cuts were on her arms and legs, with a tattoo around her neck- a ring of fire. It's oddly _swirly._

"Fighter, huh?" I ask, interested. "You do any martial arts?"

"Mm. I'm just kinda free, do whatever." she shrugs. "Taught myself, picked up a few tips from some people."

"Ah. I fight a bit." I reply, "Was taught by... my family." I wince.

_'Dammit. Of all the things to start a topic about.'_

"Huh." she says, looking me up and down. "You a killer?"

"Wh- no." I immediately deny, shaking my head. My eyes dart downward. "...of course not."

"Y'look like y'could fuck someone up." she says, "We should fight sometime."

"...maybe." I reply, scratching my neck.

It goes quiet afterwards. Glancing around at the group, I realize there's only one person left. A somewhat tall, skinny girl with long, brown hair tied into a ponytail stands at a bit of a distance away, crossing her arms.

"Hey!" Jude yells, trying to catch her attention. "Come here!"

She looks over, sighing angrily. She paces over, muttering something under her breath. "What do you want?" she asks, with an annoyed tone. The girl looks at Jude, impatiently, as if waiting to get this over with.

"Your name and Super Highschool Level." Jude replies.

"...do you need it?" she raises a brow.

"Not really, I guess," Jude says, "but we just want to get to know one another."

"Then fuck off." she snaps, before stomping away from the group.

_'...wow, rude, that one.'_

"That wasn't called for." Hizen frowns.

"Where the bloody hell is she even going?" Jude asks. The girl goes to the end of the hallway, where an iron door lays. She's able to open it, and leaves through it.

"She's gonna get lost..." I mutter, before looking around. A few of the cells have other sleeping students inside, and looking up, I see more inside ones on the second floor. I notice large cameras scattered around the hallway, probably watching our every move. Above the iron door is a large flatscreen TV.

"Maybe we should follow her," Annie says, frowning. "It might not be good to let her go alo-"

"No, leave her." Jude cuts her off, "We'll catch up with her later. She clearly doesn't want to talk to us."

"B-But..." Annie says, a bit quietly, "That's not good... maybe we should... I'm going to go talk to her."

"What? No, stay with us!" Jude says, raising his voice a bit, "It could be dangerous!"

"Then she'll be in the danger..." Annie's eyes dart toward the door, and back to Jude. "I'm a pacifist. I must keep the peace."

Annie smiles again, giving a small bow. "I'll be back with her before you know it."

The girl then calmly walks away. Her footsteps echo through the quiet hall, until she gets to the door, opening it. It lets out a loud screech as it opens, Annie walking through to the other side.

"Now what?" Onohara asks, raising a brow. "We gotta wait for those two?"

"We should continue without them. It isn't like we need them." Hizen answers.

"And where do we continue?" Jude asks. "What should we do now...?"

"Try to find a way out, I suppose." I shrug. "Never broke out of a prison before, but, it can't be that hard."

"Oh? Breaking out of prison? Sounds fun."

An unfamiliar voice suddenly cuts through the air behind us. We swiftly turn to the new voice, seeing a new student standing there.

"Who are you...?" I ask.

"Someone." they giggle. Looking at the person, I... can't help but have trouble seeing what gender they are.

The student was tall, around Onohara's height of 5' 8". Their overall build was very androgynous, with a flat chest, and a body that didn't seem feminine, but wasn't very masculine, either. Their hair was a coppery blonde, long and tied into a low ponytail, resting on their left shoulder. Their eyes were different colored, oddly enough, with one being a grey-blue and the other a vivid green.

Matching the left eye, they wore a grey-blue Victorian waistcoat, over a white button-up, with the sleeves rolled to the elbows. The coat had a large, popped collar, with a butteryfly-shaped brooch over her heart. Purple accents accompanied the grey-blue color of the jacket. They wore black shorts down to their knees, going into different colored stockings with garters. The bottom of the shorts and top of stockings had white lace, while the left stocking was grey and purple striped, and the other a midnight black with purple butterflies. Her hands were covered by white silk gloves, with a butterfly necklace wrapped around her left arm like bracelets. Grey boots were on her feet.

"Please, introduce yourself." Jude says, "We might've been kidnapped, so we're trying to get everyone's names."

"Huhu... fine. I am Takenaka Rei," they smile, not unlike a cat, "Super Highschool Level Hypnotist."

**TAKENAKA REI**

**SUPER HIGHSCHOOL LEVEL HYPNOTIST**

"My goodness," they say, looking at Onohara, "Your clothes look horrible! And your hair! What _happened_ to you?"

"Wh- what!?" Onohara's eyes widen, before gritting her teeth, glaring at Takenaka. "Hey! Y'look like a fuckin' weirdo, fuck you!"

"Weirdo?" Takenaka tilts their head, "Is it because of... my gender?"

"Eh?" Onohara asks, puzzled.

"Huhu. Tell me, dear, what is my gender?" Takenaka giggles.

"Uhh..." Onohara hesitates, "Man, I don't fuckin' know! A boy...?"

"Well, I'm afraid that's for me to know and for you to _not_ find out." Takenaka says, bouncing a bit in place.

"Hmph." Onohara crosses her arms.

"Hmph." Takenaka copies the movement.

"...did you just copy me?" Onohara asks, staring at Takenaka.

"Huhu, did you just copy me?" Takenaka asks, staring back.

"Oh- are you fuckin' serious!?" Onohara lets out an angered sigh, "Ughh. Fuck off."

"But it's so much fun!" Takenaka grins.

"...this isn't wasting our time at all..." Hizen mutters.

"Yeah, come on." Jude waves Hizen and I over, leaving the other two to argue, as he walks away from them. We follow.

"Okay, we need a plan. We've been here too long already." Jude says in a hushed tone, looking at both of us. "Almost seems like a few of us forgot, but, we've been _kidnapped._ We gotta get out of here."

"Well, what do you got, SHSL Escape Artist?" I ask him, folding up my glasses, putting them inside my vest pocket.

"Let's keep it simple. Try to look for the front gates. This is a huge, high security prison, I don't imagine it'd be too hard to find a map and get out." Jude says, determined.

_'...I hope it'll be that simple.'_

"Then what are we waiting for?" Hizen asks, "Ready when you are."

"Yeah... front gates. Shouldn't be too hard." I nod.

**"Shouldn't be too hard!?"**

An unfamiliar voice interjects into the conversation. Letting out confused murmurs, everyone's eyes dart around, looking for the source of it. And yet, nobody else stands in the hallway.

**"Damn **_**right**_** it's gonna be hard!"**

It speaks again. "What the hell!?" I ask, confused.

"Agh, look!" Jude says, pointing to the TV above the door.

The television screen had come to life. It was nothing more than grey static. Or... no, that's not right, something's there...?

**"Alright, I know, I know. Y'all are probably confused."**

A childish, mischevous voice comes from the TV's speakers. Looking carefully, I can see the basic outline of what appears to be... a toy bear?

Some of the other students began to awake. Some extra pairs of footsteps resonate through the hall, some light, some loud, some hesitant. More confused murmurs come from the kids.

"What...?" a quiet, male voice whispers.

"Huh..." another male voice, seemingly a bit more confident.

"Eh? Who's that supposed to be?" a female one asks.

**"But everything will be explained! So, do not worry, prisoners!"**

"Prisoners...?" I mutter, a confused look in my eyes as I stare towards the screen.

"Bloody hell..." Jade sighs, rubbing his temples.

**"Come on down to the cafeteria! I'll let you alllll in on everything!"**

"Nrg... I don't like this..." someone says.

"Cafeteria, hm?" another asks. "We may as well be on our way..."

**"Upupu..."**

The message ends with an eerie giggle. Slowly, I turn, looking around at everyone. Everyone's expressions are mostly confused, a few scared, but there were of course people who just didn't care.

"Hah. Let's do it." a tall boy shrugs, walking past me through the door.

"Whatever..." Onohara mutters, following.

"This is some bullshit..." a small girl in a gardening outfit says, sighing, as she leaves.

"...the hell...?" another boy, this one wearing a red hoodie and jeans, whispers to himself. The male goes into the hallway as well.

Frowning, I decide I should leave. I figured that I should likely follow these orders. My mind was going at a hundred miles an hour with nervous thoughts, but I could put together that that was probably our captor speaking. No point in disobeying, and besides, perhaps we could get some information on this whole thing. We could find out why we're here. We could find out how to leave.

...

I don't have a good feeling for some reason.

_'...what is this? It can't be that bad.'_

I am nervous, and hell, I'll admit it, I suppose I'm a bit scared. But this just... didn't sit right.

_"Go."_

"Tch-"

My eyes widen as a voice suddenly shoots through my head. Just like earlier, when I was going inside the school, I hear the same voice. That same, young, male voice...

_"Go, Arata..."_

It speaks again, and I gasp in surprise.

"What the fuck?" I whisper, backing up to a wall.

_"Can you make it...?"_

Things suddenly begin to _blur_ as the voice continues. The voice's whisper echoes inside, and as I glance around, I see no one else was reacting to any voices. Everyone was leaving, as calmly as they could. Jude sees me, and quickly runs up to me. I think he asks me if I'm okay...

My vision blurs further. My hearing worsens, as all I can hear are distant voices. I'm getting that fainting feeling.

_"You can't fight it..."_

"I... what...?" I whisper, taking a shaky deep breath. "Who are...?"

_'What the fuck? Who is this? What is this? What's going on...?'_

I look up to Jude, who had apparently put his hands on my shoulders, shouting at me. It's distant, and I can't make it out. I can't properly hear what he's saying.

"Ju...?" I mutter, as my eyelids become heavy. I realize it's growing harder and harder to stay conscious.

_"Fall asleep, little baby. Sleep."_

"No..."

...

...

...

I slide down the wall. I start to become less aware of my environments, as everything blurs together, pain shooting through my head. Oxygen suddenly stops going through my lungs. Just like before. Confusion and weakness overtaking me, my eyelids close.

_"Lights out, Arata."_

The last thing I remember is the voice. It speaks once more, before unconsciousness finally washes over me.

* * *

_"It's up to you."_

_"You have the power within you. You know what you must do, don't you?"_

Weakly, and slowly, I find myself coming to, once again. Oddly enough, I'm not in the prison. I lay on some sort of blue, glassy surface. Glancing around, I realize I'm in an empty area, with everything being... _blue._ If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a realm of some kind. It's freezing, absolutely freezing. I shiver, as a cold breeze flies through.

_"Perhaps... not now. One day it shall unlock within you."_

A loud, deep, masculine voice echoes across the emptiness. My eyes dart around, as I urgently get to my feet, stumbling as I scan around.

"Who are you...? Where are you!?" I yell, as I notice my arms trembling slightly. My right hand hovers over my vest pocket.

_"Chaos is about to strike, Arata."_

It speaks again, prompting my eyes to widen, as my hand goes inside the vest, feeling around for the item that _should_ be inside...

_"You are one of the very few who may be able to prevent it."_

"What the hell are you saying!?" I shout, yanking my arm out of the vest pocket. _'Where the fuck...!?'_

_"You're about to embark on a long, treacherous journey."_

The voice continues, completely ignoring me. "What journey!? _Who are you!?_" I ask, raising my voice.

_"You must succeed. Failure is not an option."_

"Succeed in what...?" I grit my teeth.

This time, it answered me, but...

I can't say I expected this response, at all.

_"Saving mankind, Arata."_

_"The world is crumbling. You don't have very long. You have the potential to stop it. Make the right choice, Arata."_

_"Make the right choice."_

* * *

**WOAHHH SPOOKY**

**uhh i don't really have much to say like yeah chapter woah**

**more introductions and monokuma will probably be next chapter idk**

**THAT'S IT CUZ THERE'S LIKE NO REVIEWS YET AND THIS WAS PRETTY SHORT SOOO**

**SEEYA NEXT YEAR OR SO, WHEN I UPDATE AGAIN**


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